With the refinement and sophistication of modern warfare, mission adaptability for aircraft has become an increasingly costly and often illusive objective, frequently best achieved or sought by compromises necessitated by the lack of appropriate equipment for the task at hand. Accordingly, the need to better attain these objectives by means of a versatile aircraft has never been in sharper focus than at the present. Consequently, a basic aircraft structure that could be readily adapted to rapidly changing circumstances and mission profiles simply and conveniently would obviate the need for an aircraft inventory of various types and configurations to meet the different mission requirements. Since these mission requirements are often times to diverse and highly refined, it has been difficult to provide such an aircraft having all of the necessary characteristics for these diversified missions. Those skilled in the art recognize that an aircraft that will be capable of performing such a variety of missions, as for example, air to air combat, air to ground combat, fire suppression, reconnaissance and so forth, usually results in an aircraft that does not perform to a high standard in every category. The difficulties in achieving acceptable performance is often compounded because even those particular missions identified above can require further definitization in that ordinance such as missiles of a particular type, size or configuration, or other alternative weapons might be more effectively used against a particular target. Consequently, the ability for an aircraft to accommodate such variations without undue performance handicaps is of paramount importance.
More than likely, the wide range of equipment, ordinance, armament types and the like that would be necessary to permit an aircraft to meet the requirements of such diverse missions, could have detrimental effects on its performance and stability. Accordingly, it is essential that any aircraft configuration take these factors into consideration so that the varying weights of such equipment that may be carried aboard the aircraft and expended during the course of a mission does not have a deleterious effect on its operation.
Additionally it should be borne in mind that aircraft that may be used in these situations are often operated from forward positions that lack many of the facilities available at home bases so that an aircraft that can adequately meet all of these requirements must do so under the most rudimentary circumstances and with minimal supporting equipment and personnel.